Paper gap control in high speed bed and platen presses



Nov. 3, 1964 c. J. ANTONUCCI PAPER GAP CONTROL INHIGH SPEED BED AND PLATEN PRESSES Filed Dec 11. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1964 c. J. ANTONUCCI PAPER GAP CONTROL IN HIGH SPEED BED AND PLATEN PRESSES Filed Dec. 11. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT R Aimm/fiJjt mvz/cr/ 34 /n. 0%

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,155,032 PAPER GAP CGNTRGL IN HIGH SPEED BED AND PLATEN PREES Carmine J. Antonucci, Uniondaie, N.Y., assignor to Potter Instrument Company, Inez, Plainview, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 153,491 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-45) The present invention, generally, relates to high speed printer apparatus and, particularly, to a mechanism for controlling the paper gap between a print drum and print hammers.

In high speed printers as used, for example, in printing out information processed by computers, the high speeds and inertias involved make it necessary that the frame parts be relatively heavy. However, it is necessary to adjust the spacing between certain of these heavy frame parts as, for example, between the frame part which supports the print drum and the frame part which supports the hammers.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism to control the gap between a print drum and a plurality of print hammers to accommodate paper of a selected thickness.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a rugged yet highly accurate control mechanism for adjusting the paper gap in a printer apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism to adjust one frame member relative to another in a printer device.

Generally, the invention contemplates a high speed printer with the frame member which supports the print drum being pivotable at one location and attached by a cam member to a base frame member at a location spaced therefrom. Suitable means such as a lever is provided to turn the cam member through a predetermined angle to alter the spacing between the pivotable frame member and the base frame member.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanynig drawings, which discloses by way of example, the principal of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principal.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial view in perspective of a print drum support frame and a mechanism in accordance with the invention to adjust the position of the frame relative to the print hammers;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side View showing the gap between the drum and hammers.

Referring now to the drawings which show a preferred form of the invention for illustrative purposes, a print drum support frame is indicated generally by the numeral 14) and includes separable frame parts 11 and 12. The two parts 11 and 12 are pivotable about an axis 13 relative to each other, and the frame part 11 is shown in FIG. 1 in a raised position to reveal a plurality of print hammers 14.

During operation of the printer apparatus, the frame part 11 will be attached to the frame part 12 by manipulating a handle bar 15 causing ends 16 and 17 to grip hooks 18 and 19. In this fixed position when the ends 16 and 17 are locked in the grip hooks 18 and 19, it is desired to move the frame parts 11 and 12 slightly relative to the print hammers 14. The latching mechanism is the subject matter of Patent No. 3,118,369.

Stationary portions of the printer frame are indicated by the bearing supports 20 and 21 which are portions of the same fixed base portion to which the print hammers 14 are attached. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the position of the frame parts 11-12 relative to the base portion and the bearing supports 20-21.

A bar 22 is journaled between the bearing supports 20 and 21 for rotation therein, and cam members 23 and 24 are attached at spaced apart positions on the shaft 22 by means of set screws 25 and 26. Each of the cam portions 23 and 24 is attached to the shaft 22 in an accurately predetermined position so that movement of the handle 41 will move the frame part 12 accurately relative to the line 37 of the print hammers 14.

The frame part 12 is provided with outwardly turned flanges 27 and 28 welded or otherwise attached on one side and flanges 29 and 39 similarly attached on the opposite side. These two sets of flanges 27-28 and 29-30, are spaced apart from each other to permit space for passage of the shaft 22, and a part of the sides of the frame part 12 is cut away, as indicated by the numeral 31, to provide clearance for the shaft 22.

Support for the frame part 12 against the shaft 22 is provided by set screws 32, 33, 34 and 35 through respective ones of the flanges 27-311. Therefore, it may be seen that adjustment of these set screws 32-35 provides a control for axially aligning the print drum axis 36 relative to the axis, indicated by the arrow 37, of the print hammers.

A print drum is indicated by the numeral 38, and it is the placement of the surface of this print drum 38 relatively close or at a predetermined distance from the line 37 of the print hammers 14 that must be adjusted to provide an accurately spaced gap for passage of a print medium, such as a selected thickness of paper.

As seen in FIG. 1, the shaft 22 is extended to provide one means for adjusting its rotational position by attaching at one end 39 a handle indicated generally by the numeral 40. The rotational position of the handle 40 may be indicated by any desired means such as, for example, a suitable scale, a pluarlity of apertures to be engaged by a pin extending from the underside of the handle 40 or any other desired means, none of which are illustrated.

FIG. 2 of the drawings shows the upper flange 27 and the lower flange 28 spaced apart to receive the shaft 22 and the cam portion 24. The set screws 32 and 33 provide surfaces 41 and 42, respectively, for riding against the surface of the cam portion 24, and it may be seen readily in FIG. 2 that by rotating the shaft 22 about its central axis 43, the cam portion 24 will cause the frame part 12 to be moved up or down depending upon the movement of the shaft 22.

When the set screws 32-35 have been positioned accurately to adjust for any twist between the frame parts 11 and 12, the set screws 32-35 are locked in position by a suitable means, such as pins or screws through apertures 44 and 45.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in view of the foregoing description. It is to be understood, therefore, that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a high speed printer apparatus having a base portion and a frame portion including pivotable means to pivot the frame portion relative to the base portion,

a plurality of printer hammer means supported on a base portion of the apparatus,

a surface spaced from said hammer means and supported by a frame portion to define a space for passage of a medium on which characters are printed,

and space control means to adjust the magnitude of said space for receiving a predetermined thickness of said medium,

said space control means comprising a shaft extend- .ing between first and second points spaced apart from each other on said frame portion,

journal means on said base portion contiguous with said spaced apart points to support said shaft,

first and second cam means fixed to said shaft at said first and second spaced apart points,

support means on said frame portion to support the opposite end of said frame portion from said pivotable means against said first and second cam means,

and means attached to said shaft to adjust the rotatable position of said shaft for controlling the gap between said plurality of printing hammer means and said surface spaced from said hammer means.

2. In a high speed printer apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes first and second set screw means at each of said first and second spaced apart points on said frame portion.

3. In a high speed printer apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said frame portion includes a pair of flanges extending laterally from opposite points thereon to receive said set screws, and means to lock said set screws in a predetermined position.

4. In a high speed printer apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said set screws at each of said spaced apart points are in substantially axial alignment with each other to fix said frame portion against movement relative to each of said cam surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,566,963 9/51 Ritz 197 14 2,583,636 1/52 Dobson 197-449 FOREIGN PATENTS 351,949 4/22 Germany.

WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, Examiner. 

1. IN A HIGH SPEED PRINTER APPARATUS HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A FRAME PORTION INCLUDING PIVOTABLE MEANS TO PIVOT THE FRAME PORTION RELATIVE TO THE BASE PORTION, A PLURALITY OF PRINTER HAMMER MEANS SUPPORTED ON A BASE PORTION OF THE APPARATUS, A SURFACE SPACED FROM SAID HAMMER MEANS AND SUPPORTED BY A FRAME PORTION TO DEFINE A SPACE FOR PASSAGE OF A MEDIUM ON WHICH CHARACTERS ARE PRINTED, AND SPACE CONTROL MEANS TO ADJUST THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SPACE FOR RECEIVING A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS OF SAID MEDIUM, SAID SPACE CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POINTS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID FRAME PORTION, JOURNAL MEANS ON SAID BASE PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID SPACED APART POINTS TO SUPPORT SAID SHAFT, FIRST AND SECOND CAM MEANS FIXED TO SAID SHAFT AT SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPACED APART POINTS, SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID FRAME PORTION TO SUPPORT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID FRAME PORTION FROM SAID PIVOTABLE MEANS AGAINST SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM MEANS, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT TO ADJUST THE ROTATABLE POSITION OF SAID SHAFT FOR CONTROLLING THE GAP BETWEEN SAID PLURALITY OF PRINTING HAMMER MEANS AND SAID SURFACE SPACED FROM SAID HAMMER MEANS. 